Cross Check (Marriage Contract #1) (7 page)

That is, until we hear the click of high heels swiftly
approaching our hideaway.

Like a shot, Jay and I leap away from each other,
straightening our clothes and smoothing down our hair as best we can. I lift my
scotch glass from Loudon’s desk just as the door of the study flies open. Doing
my best to look as calm and collected as Jamison does, I turn to face the open
door, hoping the blush in my cheeks isn’t too obvious.

Cordelia stands on the threshold of the study, her rail-thin
body backlit by the warm glow of the hall.

“I knew I’d find you here,” she says coolly, glaring across
the room at her brother. “Were you planning on coming downstairs at all?”

“Not really,” Jay replies, looking back at his sister with
disdain, “I figured I’d let you be the center of attention down there. That was
always your preference, right?”

“Can we not do this in front of
company
?” Delia says
primly, jerking her head my way.

“I’ll just head back to the cottage,” I offer, heading for
the door. I need to get away from Jay before I do something crazy, and the last
thing I want is to be stuck in a King sibling squabble.

“No, no. I was sent to collect both of you,” Cordelia says,
blocking my path.

“Sent by who?” Jay asks.

“The lawyers,” Delia says vaguely, shrugging her slender shoulders,
“They want to go over the will or something.”

“Now?!” Jamison exclaims stormily, “Jesus Christ, Delia. We
only just buried our parents. Can’t it wait?”

“The guests are all leaving now,” his sister replies, “I
don’t see the sense in waiting.”

“No. Of course you don’t,” Jay says, disgusted.

“In case you’ve forgotten, there are quite a few decisions
that need to be made about the estate,” Delia says primly, “Not to mention the
small matter of King Enterprises.”

“I’m sure I don’t need to be present for that,” I say
quickly, “It sounds like a family matter to me.”

“No,” Delia snaps at me, “Daddy’s legal team asked for the
two of you specifically. So. Shall we get this over with?”

“Sure? Why not,” Jay replies, marching past his sister, “No
time like the present, right?”

Chapter Five

The King house is eerily quiet as Cordelia, Jamison and I
file into the first floor conference room. The reception guests have all gone,
leaving only a picked-over buffet and depleted bar in their wake. Even my dad
seems to have headed back to the cottage. I’m surprised Frank didn’t insist on
sticking around to help clean up—that’s just the sort of thing he would do.

Loudon King’s legal team is the size of a regulation soccer
squad. I look around at the lawyers assembled around the conference table as I
step into the mahogany-paneled room, spotting plenty of familiar faces. King
Enterprises was so exclusively Loudon’s company that he had the same team of
lawyers handling his business and personal affairs, so it’s no surprise that I
recognize so many of the somber faces around the conference table.

Seated at the head of the table is Gregory Price, Loudon’s
chief counsel. Mr. Price has always been King Enterprises go-to guy for legal
matters, and I’ve gotten to know him well over the years. I’d recognize his
stark white hair and short, barrel-chested bearing anywhere. Gregory stands as
the two King children and I enter the conference room.

“Hello, you three,” he says, his usual jocular tone tempered
by the occasion, “I’m sorry to drag you into a meeting today of all days. There
just really isn’t any time to waste, here.”

“Where’s everyone else?” Cordelia asks, looking around,
“Surely there are other people who need to be here for the reading of the
will?”

“Oh, this isn’t the official reading,” Gregory says, as we
take our seats, “I just wanted to speak to the three of you alone first. Get
you up to speed with some…changes in Loudon and Priscilla’s wishes.”

Gregory’s gray eyes swing my way as he says this, lingering
on my face as if trying to solve some kind of puzzle.

“I don’t see why we can't just wait to hear the details,”
Jay says testily, leaning his elbows on the long conference table, “I’m sure
it’s all pretty standard, yeah?”

The ten other lawyers on Loudon’s team glance nervously at
Mr. Price, who takes a deep breath before responding.

“Standard is not exactly the word I’d use,” Price finally
says, steeling his fingers, “Which is exactly why I thought it best that the
three of you have some… advance warning.”

Jay, Cordelia and I exchange glances, wondering after Price’s
meaning as the head lawyer dismisses the rest of the team. Ten powerful law
professional shuffle out of the conference room like guilty schoolchildren,
unwilling to look at me or the King siblings. Acidic worry starts to churn in
my core. What the hell is going on, here?

When the room has finally been cleared, Mr. Price walks
around the table to take a seat closer to the three of us.

“You all must be so disoriented,” he says sympathetically,
giving Cordelia a gentle pat on the hand. “I hope you know how sorry I am for
your loss.”

“We can do without the water works, Greg,” Delia snaps,
snatching her hand away, “Just tell us what we need to know.”

“Very well,” Price breathes, sitting back in the chair,
“Though I warn you, not one of you is going to like what you’re about to hear.”

Christ, what could this bad news possibly be? Did Loudon
decide to leave his entire fortune to a Nigerian prince he met online or
something?

“Let me cut right to the chase,” Price goes on, “Since Jay
was born, Loudon and Priscilla’s has more or less gone unchanged. If they
should perish together, their estate and assets would be split evenly between
Cordelia and Jamison. Easy-peasy.”

“And now?” Jamison asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Well. After years and years of leaving the will more or
less untouched, Loudon decided to make a rather…
drastic
change just a
couple of weeks ago. Actually, this change was on the occasion of you deciding
to start working for King Enterprises, Jay.”

“You’re
what
?!” Delia exclaims.

“Must have forgotten to tell you," Jay shrugs, “The
doctors won’t let me play hockey anymore, so I’m finally getting myself a big
boy job.”

“Are you ever,” Price breathes, looking back and forth
between me and Jay. “The change Loudon wanted to make to his will involves King
Enterprises. Specifically, who should take his place as president now that he’s
gone. Long story short, Loudon came to the conclusion that the company should
not be run by its board of directors, or sold off, or god knows what else.
Instead, it should stay firmly in the family. Namely, with Jamison and Leah
here running the show.”

I blink across the table at Price, sure that I’ve heard him
wrong.

“Sorry. What was that?” I ask, heart hammering away in my
chest.

“It was Loudon’s wish that you and Jamison jointly take over
his role as president of King Enterprises,” Price repeats.

“What about me?” Cordelia cries.

“You’ll still have your share of the estate,” Price tells
her, “But the company will go to Jamison and Leah.”

“Why wouldn’t it go entirely to me?” Jamison scoffs, “Like
Dad said, it’s a family company. I should be the one in charge.”

“Are you kidding me?” I laugh incredulously, “You don’t know
the first thing about how to run a company, let alone King Enterprises! I’m the
one who’s been working my ass off there for the last six years.”

“As a glorified assistant,” Jay shoots back, “Not as a
leader. I’ve been running the one-man media juggernaut that is the Jamison King
brand since college. I think that more than qualifies me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I scoff, “Making pouty faces for the
camera and fucking puck-bunnies does not mean you have any idea what—”

“I’m afraid I’m not finished,” Gregory Price says over our
bickering voices.

“There’s more?!” Cordelia whines.

“Oh yes,” Price sighs, “But for this next bit, I’m going to
let Loudon speak for himself.”

I watch as the lawyer produces a letter from his briefcase
and slides it across the table toward me and Jay. Both of our names are written
across the envelope, in Loudon King’s distinctive hand. Before I can make a
grab for it, Jamison plucks the letter out of its envelope, smoothing it down
between us on the conference table. I’m keenly aware of how close our bodies
are once again as we lean over the letter and begin to read.

Dear
Jamison and Leah,

It
’s strange to write this letter
to you both, knowing that you’ll probably never have reason to read it. If you
are perusing this note, it means that I’ve departed this world far sooner than
I ever imagined. But it’s better to be prepared for any eventuality, wouldn’t
you agree?

As
you both know, Jamison has recently expressed an interest in coming into the
King Enterprises fold. I
’ve
had the pleasure of mentoring Leah for years, and am thrilled that I’ll have a
chance to teach my son the ropes as well. This is a big change for the company,
to be sure, but I’m certain that in the long run, it will be clear which of you
is better suited to the task of running the company when I no longer can.

But
of course, such decisions take time. I intend to remain president of King
Enterprises for many more years, at which time I will name one of you my
successor. But if you are reading this letter, it means that I have passed away
before my retirement, and have not yet determined which one of you is more fit
to lead. In the event that this has happened, I have landed on a rather
unorthodox solution for the two of you moving forward.

It
is my wish for the two of you to run King Enterprises as co-presidents. As a
team. I know that you haven
’t
spent much time together since you were children, but I think you each bring
important skills to the table which the other lacks as of yet. I have faith
that you will be effective partners if you put your minds to it. But seeing as
you’re also both stubborn as hell, I need a little insurance that you’ll put an
honest effort into working together.

What
I propose is this. In addition to becoming partners in business, you must also
become partners in life. I want you to inherit my company and your shares of my
estate equally, and the best way to ensure that this partnership is protected
is for you to get married. That
’s
right, you didn’t misread. I realize that this is an unconventional
arrangement, but I believe it is for the best. This way, your fortunes will be
united. You’ll be a much more effective team if you’re working for your shared
success, rather than your own opposing interests.

I
’m sure you’ll rebel against
this suggestion, so I’m putting it in writing. If you agree to get married, you
will run King Enterprises as a team and share Jamison’s half of my estate.
Alternatively, if you truly cannot stomach this arrangement, one of you can bow
out of the company altogether and leave it to the other. (Of course, Jamison is
in no way obligated to share his material inheritance with Leah if you are not
to be wed.) If you are unwilling to be married and also both unwilling to back
out of the company, the fate of King Enterprises will be placed in the hands of
my daughter, Cordelia King, and the remaining majority shareholders, who will
be free to do with it as they see fit.

Again,
no part of me hopes that this letter will ever have to reach your ears. I
’m sure I’ll have more than
enough time to vet you both before I retire. But if through some act of God
this ultimatum does go into effect… Well. I hope you won’t be too cross with
me. Both of you are reasonable enough to understand that any marriage contract
is fundamentally a business agreement. I suggest you approach this as you would
any other contract.

Godspeed,

L.K.

A deep, unmoving silence falls over the room as Jamison and
I finish reading Loudon’s letter. My very blood feels like it’s come to a
standstill in my veins.

“Well?” Cordelia demands, crossing her skinny arms, “What
does it say?”

Wordlessly, Jay slides the letter across the table to his
sister. I watch as her eyes go wider and wider with every line she reads.

“Greg,” Jamison manages to croak, as Cordelia reads the
letter a second time, “This has to be some kind of joke. Right?”

“I’m afraid not,” Mr. Price says, looking tentatively at my
blank face.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I reply, my voice oddly calm, “A
letter like that isn’t legally binding. Just because Loudon jotted this down on
a whim—”

“But it wasn’t a whim, Leah,” Price cuts me off, “Loudon
adjusted the wording of his actual will to reflect these wishes. I implemented
the changes myself.”

“Why the fuck would you let him do this?!” Jamison demands
heatedly, “This is absolutely batshit!”

“Is it, though?” Price asks evenly, “It seemed like a pretty
decent interim solution at the time. Quite frankly, it still does.”

“How in the hell do you figure that?” I shoot back, cold
panic starting to seep in through the disbelief.

“Loudon wanted to leave each of you with your fair share of
the company and estate. Becoming partners in that inheritance makes perfect
sense.”

“You’re forgetting the part where we’re supposed to be life
partners as well,” I point out, my voice rising by an octave. “You know. Man
and wife?”

“Oh, only legally,” Price says, waving a dismissive hand,
“No one’s asking you to fall in love or anything. Like Loudon says in his
letter, this is just a business matter.”

“Like hell it is,” Jamison roars, rising to his feet.

“This is completely unacceptable,” I agree, standing as well,
“There has to be some kind of way to appeal this.”

“What’re you gonna do, break out the Ouija board?” Price
says testily, “What’s done is done! Look, if you really can’t stomach the idea
of a getting married, then you just have to decide between yourselves who gets
to take over the business. It’s that simple.”

“Well, that’s easy,” Jamison says, whipping around to face
me, “I’ll come on as the new president, and Leah can keep her job as a creative
executive. Problem solved.”

“Excuse me?” I reply, “There is no way in hell I’m letting
you waltz in and take over the company I’ve poured my life into all these
years. Not when your father’s legacy is at stake.”

“This company is my birthright,” Jay says fiercely, towering
over me, “I’m the only person who’s fit to run it.”

“Could you be more of an entitled prick?” I snap back, my
hands balled into fists at my sides, “You would run King Enterprises straight
into the ground. I should be the one to take over. No question about it.”

“You?!” Jay crows disdainfully, “How are you gonna negotiate
with the biggest players in entertainment all on your own? They’ll take one
look at you and see a little girl they can take advantage of.”

“How dare you,” I growl, getting right up in his face—height
difference be damned. “I know you’re used to getting your way, Jamison King.
But I’m not handing this company over to you just like that. We’ll just have
our lawyers scour the will again and find a loophole.”

“Leah, I’ve always served as both your lawyer,” Price points
out, “And I’m telling you, this thing is airtight. The only way forward is for
you two to get married, or decide between yourselves who will take over. If you
refuse to compromise, well…”